Gonzalez rests after straining left hamstring

DENVER — With rain peppering Coors Field, leaving it soggy and wet, Carlos Gonzalez is not in the starting lineup. Gonzalez said last night that he could have stayed in the game, but the Rockies used precaution after he strained his left hamstring breaking out of the batter’s box in the first inning.

“I think that will be the case,” Gonzalez said. “I was just jogging on that triple. I told them after the inning that it was a little tight, but that I wanted to stay in there. They said it wasn’t a good idea.”

The reality is that the Rockies are closing in on a playoff berth, and have the luxury of spelling Gonzalez with Seth Smith. Pushing him could leave him out for a month. That doesn’t make sense.